Lobbying Weather and Disaster Agencies, Giffords’ New Primary Challenger and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 29

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:

ORGANIZATIONS LOBBY WEATHER AND DISASTER AGENCIES: Much of the country was on high alert this weekend, as Hurricane Irene barnstormed the Eastern seaboard, bringing with it major winds and torrents of rain. Though it weakened quickly and did not make quite the impact that many had anticipated, Irene’s danger was not fully overblown: The storm proved powerful enough to wreak havoc in much of the region, and took as many as 20 lives as it moved up the coast. She also kept many federal agencies busy, as well. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tracked the storm and provided the public with updates and warnings, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been helping the East Coast grapple with the billions of dollars in flood and wind damage Irene left behind.

But it’s not as though these agencies have much downtime otherwise: Even when they’re not helping the nation survive a hurricane, both agencies still receive a torrent of federal lobbyists each year, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Nearly 150 separate organizations have shown up at NOAA’s doors or met with its representatives during the first half of this year alone. They include the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, which, as you might guess, is mainly interested in working to preserve America’s shoreline and fight erosion. You can also add to that list the city of Virginia Beach, Va., whose shores were pummeled by Irene over the weekend. Virginia Beach is no stranger to lobbying, having spent $80,000 through the first half of the year on issues such as federal appropriations and environmental issues, according to the Center’s research.

Organizations lobbying FEMA include the American Red Cross, which has also been helping Americans recover from Irene’s devastation. The American Association of Port Authorities has also targeted FEMA during the first half of 2011, according to federal lobbying records. The organization, which represents many of the major East Coast ports that stood in Irene’s path, has spent $477,040 on federal lobbying during that same period. At least 119 organizations listed FEMA as a target of their federal lobbying efforts from January to June of 2011.

AN OUTSIDE SPENDING GIANT CRUMBLES: Reeling from the loss of its founder and fundraiser-in-chief earlier this year, Newt Gingrich‘s former outside spending group American Solutions for Winning the Future closed its doors late last week, a collapse so massive that it could not have been seen nor anticipated just a year ago.

Gingrich founded the 527 organization in 2007 to advocate conservative principles and found major fund-raising success throughout his tenure, raising more than $52 million in four years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ research. But the Georgia Republican severed ties with the organization in accordance with federal election law earlier this year to pursue his presidential bid. And that’s precisely when the group began to falter, reports Peter Stone at iWatchNews.

Without Gingrich’s fund-raising power, the group had trouble raising money. What connections remained did not help, either, as American Solutions also suffered from Gingrich’s own faltering presidential campaign, which suffered a mass exodus of staffers in June, and at the end of the second-quarter reporting period was weighed down by debt.

As a tax exempt 527 organization, American Solutions could accept unlimited contributions, and the group collected huge checks from corporations and businesses, as well as wealthy Republican-oriented donors. The Las Vegas Sands casino and hotel resort and its owner, Sheldon Adelson, for example has contributed millions of dollars the group. Peabody Energy and American Electric Power are also listed as other major donors recent during the 2010 election cycle.

GIFFORDS MAY HAVE 2012 PRIMARY CHALLENGER: Politicos wondering about the potential political return of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords got a surprise last week when Democrat Andy Prowell announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for Giffords’ district, according to KTAR News in Arizona.

Giffords, who has been recovering from a gun shot wound to the head she suffered last January during an attack in Tucson, Arizona, has not yet declared her intentions to seek re-election. But buzz has increased rampant in recent months as we draw closer to the fall nomination season, when many candidates are expected to declare their candidacies.

Many Democrats have speculated she will run for re-election for the House of Representatives, or even for the Senate in that state. And should she return, Giffords will have a stash of campaign cash in her coffers to at least get her started. The Arizona Democrat ended the 2010 election cycle with more than $285,500 cash on hand, according to federal campaign records. And though she was hospitalized through the first quarter, her colleagues still helped her raise more than $684,000 from January through June.

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